New York Islanders 0, New Jersey Devils 1 FINAL OT

Associated Press

New York Islanders 0, New Jersey Devils 1 FINAL OTNew York Islanders 0, New Jersey Devils 1

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- After missing a penalty shot early in overtime,
all Patrik Elias wanted was a second chance.

Unfortunately for the New York Islanders, he got it.

Elias worked a perfect give-and-go with Scott Gomez and scored into an empty
net at 2:09 of the extra period to give the New Jersey Devils a 1-0 victory
over goaltender Garth Snow and the Islanders on Wednesday night.

"I don't mind that I missed now, obviously," Elias quipped after his goal
gave Martin Brodeur his league-high sixth shutout of the season and the 70th of
his career.

"I just wanted to get out there again and get that goal," Elias said. "I
made the right play but he (Snow), I wouldn't say made an outstanding save, but
he stayed with it and I didn't make the perfect play."

Elias came at Snow on an angle on his penalty shot. He tried to deke the big
goaltender and beat him with a backhand shot.

Snow wasn't fooled.

"It's a little bit of a bluff," said Snow, who made 34 saves. "It was a
good move and I got a pad on it."

Elias also had the Devils' last penalty shot on Dec. 1, 2000. He was stopped
by John Vanbiesbrouck of the Islanders in a 0-0 tie, also in overtime.

Snow never had a chance on the winner. Elias carried the puck into the
Islanders' zone, dropped a pass for Gomez and then spun and went to the net.
Two Islanders picked up Devils defenseman Scott Stevens joining the play and
Gomez sent a return pass to a wide-open Elias.

He was as wide open as the net.

"All I had to do was get it over to Patty," Gomez said.

"It feels like a loss," Snow said. "The only solace is that we did get a
point, but this feels like a loss."

Brodeur only stopped 18 shots, but made a fabulous save on a rebound attempt
by Alexei Yashin late in the third period with the Islanders on their only
power play. Brodeur has shut out the Islanders three straight times, including
the first two meetings this season and the teams' final meeting of last season.

"I usually never think about shutout, but with 10 minutes left in the game
I knew I was going to have to do it for us to win," Brodeur said.

The Devils are 7-0-1 in their last eight games with the Islanders, winning
four on shutouts.

Snow faced 25 shots in the first two period and made at least 10 excellent
saves. He made consecutive stops on Erik Rasmussen and Jeff Friesen in the
first period when he slid from side-to-side. He also had good stops on two
shots from the point by rookie defenseman David Hale in the second period, and
consecutive stops on a shot by Jay Pandolfo and the ensuing rebound by Brian
Gionta.

A bad-angle shot by Mike Rupp was reviewed, but video replays showed the
puck didn't cross the goal line.

The Islanders picked up their game in the third period, when they had nine
shots. Brodeur made a good glove save on Yashin early in the period and another
on Adrian Aucoin breaking in from the point.

Devils center John Madden left in the first period after being cut on the
nose and cheek by a clearing pass by Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek.